The Safe Place by Anna Downes was a wild ride, and it would definitely make the perfect beach read thanks to how quick and addicting it was. Oh Emily, if something sounds too good to be true it probably is right? Unfortunately, our Emily is just not that smart and jumps at the chance to be a housekeeper for her ex-boss/CEO on a French estate. I mean that does sound amazing for the location alone, but of course, I had a bad feeling the entire time which eventually pays off in a crazy ending. I thought this was a really solid debut and I absolutely loved the fact that Downes was inspired to write it from her own time as a housekeeper in exactly the same setting. I really enjoyed the mix of viewpoints with both Emily and Scott, and even with Scott's POV, I had no idea where this one was going to end up. I saw some readers call it predictable, but I am one of those readers who never sees anything coming and I didn't with this one either.
Another thing I really liked was that Downes narrated her own audiobook! Obviously, an author knows exactly what tone she wants for her characters, and Downes did a really fantastic job here. She helped heighten the suspense for me during the times it was necessary, and I loved her tone for both Emily and Scott's viewpoints. There are definitely some slower parts, but I listened to The Safe Place in just 2 days and enjoyed every minute of it. The remote setting was perfectly creepy, and I loved being transported to France. Of course, the secrets were doozies as well, and bit by bit we find out exactly what it is that Scott and his wife are hiding. I don't know about everyone else, but my mind was completely blown at the end and it was definitely worth the read for me. Well done to Downes for this snappy debut, and I can't wait to see what that brain thinks up next!
Another thing I really liked was that Downes narrated her own audiobook! Obviously, an author knows exactly what tone she wants for her characters, and Downes did a really fantastic job here. She helped heighten the suspense for me during the times it was necessary, and I loved her tone for both Emily and Scott's viewpoints. There are definitely some slower parts, but I listened to The Safe Place in just 2 days and enjoyed every minute of it. The remote setting was perfectly creepy, and I loved being transported to France. Of course, the secrets were doozies as well, and bit by bit we find out exactly what it is that Scott and his wife are hiding. I don't know about everyone else, but my mind was completely blown at the end and it was definitely worth the read for me. Well done to Downes for this snappy debut, and I can't wait to see what that brain thinks up next!